1. Field of Invention
The present general inventive concept relates to fasteners for securing wire, cable, or the like to a surface, and more particularly, to a fastener having inwardly-facing hook structures allowing convenient securement of one or more wires, cables, or the like to a structure, a dispenser for such fasteners, and a method of installing and using such fasteners.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various fasteners, such as for example staples, nails, clips, brackets, or the like, exist for use in securing one or more wires, cables, cords, or the like (hereinafter “cables”) to a surface. Such fasteners are commonly used, for example, to assist in holding one or more cables against the framing members of a building to assist in routing the cables throughout the building. In common installation of a cable throughout a building comprising wood or metal studs, the cable is typically held against a surface of a stud while staples are driven into the surface in overlying relationship to the cable, thereby securing the cable along the surface. Typically, such staples are placed approximately every three to five feet along each cable to be secured.
The above-described process of mounting a cable along a surface by holding the cable against the surface and driving overlapping staples along the length of the cable presents several disadvantages. For example, the process of individually driving each prong of a two-pronged staple into the surface in a desired location, while simultaneously holding the cable in the desired location, is cumbersome. Furthermore, in the event one or more prongs of the staple contact the cable as they are driven into the surface, such prongs may damage the cable, such as for example by shearing or otherwise damaging the sheathing of the cable, by damaging or exposing the wiring of the cable beneath the sheathing, or by contacting the wiring of the cable and establishing electrical communication with the wiring of the cable. Such events may lead to risk of electrical failure of the cable, injury or damage due to electric shock from the wiring of the cable, and/or electrical fire in the building in which the cable is installed. In the event a hammer or other such tool is used to drive the staple, and in the event a user misses contacting the staple with the hammer, impact to the cable or surface may occur, thereby damaging the cable or surface. Moreover, when a cable is held in compression between a surface and a central portion of a staple, pressure exerted on the cable by the staple and the surface may further damage the cable. For example, in the event the cable is dragged along its length, such staples may shave off portions of the sheathing of the cable, thereby further exposing the inner wiring of the cable.
As an alternative to the above-discussed staples, various designs of plastic clips have been used to secure cables against surfaces, wherein a plurality of plastic clips are first fastened along the surface, and thereafter, a cable is positioned within a hook structure defined by the plastic clip. Typically, such hook structures open either outwardly from the surface or parallel along the surface, such that a cable can be more easily received within the hook structure. The use of such plastic clips is less likely to result in damage to the cable. However, when using such plastic clips, difficulty often arises in that the cable may be pulled from the outwardly-facing opening in the hook structure, thereby allowing the cable to become unfastened from the plastic clip if the cable is pulled. Furthermore, such plastic clips are often designed to secure a single cable, and cannot accommodate fastening of multiple cables using a single plastic clip. Moreover, such plastic clips are often, themselves, difficult and cumbersome to install along the surface to which the cable is to be mounted.
In either of the above-discussed alternatives, additional disadvantages are presented in that it is often cumbersome to carry multiple loose staples, hooks, or the like for installation along a desired surface. Furthermore, it is often time consuming to individually select, separate, and place each such staple or hook at a desired location along the surface before fastening the staple or hook in place. Accordingly, there is a need for a cable support which allows fastening of multiple cables to a surface, which is quick and convenient to install, and which minimizes the risk of damage to the cable and/or the risk of the cable becoming unfastened from the cable support. There is further a need for a dispenser for such a cable support that may allow quick and convenient installation of a cable support fastener to a desired surface.